Compartmented cartons



Dec. 27, 1955 s. RHEINFRANK 2,728,449

COMPARTMENTED CARTONS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1|? IN VEN TOR.

L YD/A S. RHE/NFRA/VK A TTORN S Dec. 27, 1955 s, RHEMFRANK 2,728,449

COMPARTMENTED CARTONS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent COMPARTMENTED CARTONS Lydia S. Rheinfrank, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Spitzer Paper Box Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 20, 1954, Serial No. 476,140

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-4522) The subject of this invention is a compartmented carton of the type that is formed by folding and assembling sheets of cardboard cut and creased to prescribed patterns.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a carton formed of sheets which are cut to patterns so designed as to avoid substantial waste.

Another object is to provide a sturdy compartmented carton which will hold together, retain its shape, resist crushing and stand abuse even though it be constructed without adhesives.

Still another object is to provide a compartmented carton which is made of cardboard especially finished on one side ony and in which both the exterior of the carton and the interiors of all its compartments show only the especially finished side of the cardboard.

And a still further object is to provide a compartmented carton having the characteristics mentioned above and in which certain of the compartments may be opened and closed independently of each other.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent upon perusal of the following description illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a view in perspective of a compartmented carton embodying the instant invention, certain of the compartments being shown as open while the remaining compartments are closed;

Fig. II is a view in perspective showing compartment floor sections and partitions ready to be placed in the carton;

Fig. III is a view in perspective showing a divider ready for incorporation with the partitions;

Fig. IV is a fragmentary perspective view showing a tongue and slot interlock between sections of the carton wall;

Fig. V is a plan view of a blank from which the bottom wall and covers of the carton are formed, cuts being shown in full lines and creases being shown in dash lines;

Fig. VI is a plan view of a blank from which are formed the compartment floor sections and partition walls illustrated in Fig. II;

Fig. VII is a plan view of a blank from which is formed the divider illustrated in Fig. III.

Fig. VIII is a side elevational view on a reduced scale showing the carton set up to display merchandise.

The cardboard blanks shown in Figs. V, VI, and VII are notched, slotted, cut and creased preferably by dies.

In general the invention comprises a carton having duplex side walls, a bottom and cover members all formed from a substantially rectangular cardboard blank such as is illustrated in Fig. V. The blank is shown with the side of the cardboard that is not especially finished uppermost and the fact that this side of the cardboard is not finished is indicated by light stippling. None of the especially finished side of the cardboard is visible in Fig. V. The cardboard blank has pairs of narrow notches of identical depths incised in two opposite margins thereof, each notch in one margin being alined with a notch in the opposite margin. Creases along which the blank is to 2,728,449 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 ice a cut in the other end, and creases connect the alined cuts. The margins of the blank are folded or crimped over to the depth of the notches with their edges lying along the cuts and the creases that connect the cuts. The folded over margins thus form duplex wall members with the especially finished side of the cardboard outermost. The duplex wall members thus formed then are bent upwardly at the notches to form right angle corners. The upwardly directed end portions of the wall members then are swung inwardly to form a rectangular wall, an end portion of each wall member embracing an end portion of the other wall member, as indicated in Fig. I. The embracing wall member has a tongue which is inserted in the end portion of the other wall member, which is so embraced, to lock the structure in shape (see Fig. IV).

The portion of the cardboard blank that lies between each pair of parallel cuts in the end of the blank is a half-cover which may be wrapped over the adjacent side of the wall to overlie half of the rectangular space encompassed by the wall.

The carton thus formed is compartmented by means of a floor section-partition structure formed of the second substantially rectangular cardboard blank illustrated by Fig. VI. Fig. VI shows this second blank with the especially finished surface of the cardboard uppermost. It has a series of parallel creases along which it is crimped and bent into the duplex partitions and the floor sections shown in Fig. II with the especially finished surface of the cardboard outermost on the partitions and uppermost on the floor sections.

The said second blank is slotted to position and hold a duplex divider formed of the third substantially rectangular blank, shown in Fig. VII, two margins of which are provided with narrow notches. The said third blank is crimped along its center so that the notches in one margin register with those in the other margin; see Fig. III.

After the floor section-partition structure illustrated in Fig. II is placed in the rectangular space encompassed by the carton walls the divider notches are engaged over the partitions in the manner indicated in Fig. I, the divider thus being positioned and held in place.

It will be observed by examination of Fig. V that the upper margin of the blank is divided into flaps 1, 2 and 3. The flaps 1, 2 and 3 are folded at creases 4, 5 and 6 to overlie wall members 7, 8 and 9. The lower margin of the blank likewise is divided into flaps 10, 11 and 12 which are similarly folded at creases 13, 14 and 15 to overlie wall members 16, 17 and 18.

The Wall members 7 and 9 and the wall members 16 and 18 then are swung about creases 19, 20, 21 and 22 until they are perpendicular to the remainder of the sheet, whereupon the wall members 8 and 17 are bent upwardly along the creases 23 and 24 thus swinging the wall members 7 and 16 toward each other and the wall members 9 and 18 toward each other. As the converging wall members meet each other the wall member 16 and its flap 10 are manipulated to sandwich them between the wall member 7 and its flap 1 and the wall member 9 and its flap 3 are manipulated likewise to sandwich them between the wall member 18 and its flap 12.

The flap 1 is provided with a tongue 25 which is guided into a slit 26 in the flap 10 and the flap 12 is provided with a tongue 27 which is guided into a slit 28 in the flap 3. The wall members and their flaps thus are locked together in the manner illustrated in Fig. IV.

The procedure so far set forth results in the erection of a box structure at the center of the blank. The unfinished side of the cardboard still is visible at the bottom of the interior of the box but the entire exterior of the box" and the interiors of the side walls show only the especially finished side of the cardboard.

Compartment floors. andpartitions are formed.- by crimping the blank. shown in Fig. VI along-creases 29, and 31 and folding it alongcreases 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 to form floor sections 33, 39,. 40' and 41 as. well as duplex partitions 42, 43' and 44, as illustrated in Fig. Ii. The blank is so crimped and bent that the especially finishedside of the cardboard is uppermost on the floor sections and outermost on the partitions.

When the structure illustrated in Fig. Ilflis inserted. in the box structure the unfinished. side of. the. cardboard in the bottom of the box is covered by the. floor sections ofof. cardboard. having notches. 49, andSl in its lower edge that engage over the partitions as the duplex strip.

is inserted into the slots 45, 46 and 47. Thedivider illustrated. in Fig. III is madeby crimping the blank shown. in

Fig. VII lengthwise along the crease 52, the unfinished side of the cardboard being inside.

Thev blank shown in Fig. V includes material for covers 53 and 54. The covers have creases 55 and 56 so that they will fit neatly over the corners of the box structure and. they also have creases 57 and 58 so that their lips59 and 60 may be tucked neatly into the slots. 45, 46 and 47 in the partitions 42, 43 and 44 where they are retained by frictional contact with the divider 48.

When the carton is closed only the especially finished side. of the cardboard is visible on the top, sides and bottom. of the carton.

Because of the manner in which the cardboard is folded and the parts are put together, the duplex partitions, the duplex divider and the duplex walls spring into snug embrace and hold each other tightly. The carton is strong and crush resistant and retains its smart appearance even after much handling.

The carton may be used as a display case by folding back the covers 53 and 54 in the manner indicated in Fig. VIII and using either cover as a support to hold the carton at an angle to permit display of merchandise. The carton may also be usedas a display case, with one cover closed and the other cover used as a support.

It is to be understood. that the carton. though illustrated as square may be of other rectangular shapes and that it may be otherwise modified without departingfrom the spirit and scope of. the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A display carton having a rectangular base, opposed duplex walls of similar height, each of which comprises a wall member perpendicular to and integral with the. base and a flap substantially coextensive in areawith thewall member, which flap is an integral extension. of the wall member and is folded downward and inward upon the wall member, each wall member having integral therewith two partial wall members which are perpendicular to the wall. member and to the base, each partial wall member having an integral flap. which is substantially coextensive therewith and is folded downward and inward thereupon to form therewith a partial duplex wall of substantially the same height as the aforementioned duplex walls, the resulting partial duplex walls being secured together in pairs to form two composite walls along, two opposed edges of the base, characterized in that the base has integral therewith two cover members which extend from such opposed edges of the base, and each of which consistsof an inner portion "whose widthis approximately equal to the height of the walls, a substantially wider outer portion whose width is equal to approximately one-half the distance between the composite walls, and a narrower terminal flap which is separated from the outer portion by a crease and has its ends trimmed even with the ends of the outer portion, for ready insertion of. such flap between articles in the carton, one of such cover members normally having its: flap inserted between. such articles whereby such cover member serves as a display panel covering one-half of the carton, and the other cover member normally havingits inner portionunderlying the carton, its outer portion upright, and its terminal flap lying flat against a supportingsurface, toforma standard firmly supporting the carton at an angle, for displaying articles occupying the other half of the carton 2. A display carton as claimed in. claim 1, having a partition extending parallel, to and midway between the composite walls, the terminalflaps of the cover members being adapted to be inserted on each side of such partition, whereby one cover member may be opened without disturbing the other cover member.

3. A display carton blank having a rectangular base portion, and opposed wall tabs of similar. width integral with the base portion, each of which has integral therewith a flap that is substantially the same size as the tab and iscreased to be folded inward upon the tab, and-also has integral therewith two side tabs, each of which. is cfsubstantially the same width as the wall tabs, and each of' which has a flap that is integral therewith and is creased to be folded inward thereupon, the wall tabs being creased to be bent perpendicular to the base portion, and the side tabs being, adapted to be. secured together in pairs to form two. composite walls along two. opposed edges of the base portion, characterized in that the base. portion has integral therewith two cover members which extend from such opposed edges, and each of'which consists of an inner portion whose width is approximately equal to. the width of the tabs, a substantially'wid'er outer portion, creased to be bent inward from the inner portion, whose width is equal to approximately one-half'the. distance between such opposed edges, and a narrower terminal flap that is creased to be. bent inward from the outer portion and has its ends. trimmed even with the ends of the outer portion, for ready insertion of such flap between articles in the carton.

References Citedin the file of this. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 732,329 Webb c- June 30, 19.03-

793,803' Parsons July 4, 1905 1,829,005 Kalmitz- Oct. 27, 1931. 2,001,816 Coyle May 21, 1935- 2,023,578- Dayley Dec. 10; 1935 2,153,334 Lowe Apr; 4', 1939' 2,l63,l17 Evans et a1 .lune'ZO, 1939' 2,218,360 Rokol Oct; 15, 1940 2,271,008 Heiser Jan. 27, 1942 2,472,674 Morand June 7, 1949 2,493,176 Whitehead Jan. 3,. 1950 2,605,954 Williamson Aug. 5; 1952 2,647,679 Schiliing et al. Aug. 4; 1953 2,695,097 Easton Nov. 2-3, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 373,812 France Mar; 28, 1 907 54,341 Great Britain Nov. 29, 19-20 

